


EIGHT DIGITS

by TEACHACHA



Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Ardyn is a hobo, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Dark Fantasy, FFXV, Final Fantasy XV Spoilers, Genetics, M/M, May contain EPISODE PROMPTO Spoilers, Multi, Other, Promptis - Freeform, Sci Fi AU, Science Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Welcome and meet my messed up mind, i love science fiction oops, please enjoy my fanfics lol, this is gay af i swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-11-20 23:39:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11345517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TEACHACHA/pseuds/TEACHACHA
Summary: He splashed water over his face with his hands. The droplets of water running down his face to drop back into the basin of the sink. Those blue eyes stared back into his own soul as his hands held onto the sink. The blond strands of hair, in little of style of a birds backside and half a wing.No matter how hard he tried to stop thinking about that awful place, it will always come back at him to hurt his tired out heart.He closed his eyes, rethinking, allowing this dark cloud to take over his thoughts once more......there was no way he could fully call himself a human being. Not with the barcode on his wrist that 'named' him as one of 'them'...





	1. RUNAWAY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy my science fiction AU I put together. <3

He ran. He pumped his arms. He didn't turn his head back to look at what was behind him. There was no chances in stopping to take a breath. Not that he needed or thought to have one. Besides his skills in running forever up to three hours per time, his weight put him down.

Unable to see clearly through the little tears that threatened to fall down his face, his blond hair absorbing the moon's bright rays of silver; he continued to pump his arms as fast as he could.

He wasn't a normal boy like everyone else you would see at primary or secondary school. He was different. Way different than a normal human being. Right now, he was running to something called... 'Freedom'. The boy saw it as that, but he was unsure to think if it was something that would let him rest from being harmed.

His feet hurt more than anything, the hard rock and little stones cutting the bottoms of his bare feet. The hospital gown he wore was up to his ankles, awfully long for his height. It didn't bother him as much, he grew used to wearing it all the time before being changed into his military uniform for his practices. He didn't need it anymore, no more turning back now.

The boy finally found out what he meant to these so called epic scientists. He was nothing more than an experiment. A mutant that went through many tests and operations to receive supernatural abilities out of the blue. It was absolutely disgusting. Experimenting on a mere child from birth, having bad side effects with no care and support but to be forced to follow orders and only have one way of thinking: A living weapon.

He turned out to be different to most of the other experiments back in this laboratory called home. The side effects of other animal DNA or chemicals entering his body through test tubes caused the poor thing to gain weight, have hair growing that was immediately shaved off before he escaped and other medical problems on the side. He had to suffer through them all on his own. His hair would grow back in a matter of days, a side effect that wasn’t able to be treated.

The blond was nameless. Not completely due to the barcode acid onto the back of his wrist. The code lines gave off his 'name' in numbers that he was called. He responded to that name fast every time it was called out back in military training with a 'Yes, Sir!" Or "Sir!"

Fast panting breaths of white visible clouds in front of his face were formed as he ran. His aching body killed him when he came to a stop. He didn't stop for no reason. Before him was a big river. This river surrounded the whole area of the laboratory, after the river came the fifty meter high wired fence. The boy had a chance still. Like before, he isn't completely human anymore. The young mutant turned his head, panic rising up to his throat from his heart. Sweat pouring down his face when he saw the flash of Humvee lights behind him. There was a distance, the guards wouldn't have possibly saw him just yet. He had little time to think.

He looked down at the river, not taking a second thought before diving into the ice cold water. It was late night, it would be hard to see him in the river. He swam further out into the dark waters as he saw the Humvee lights above him. The vehicle came to a roaring stop on the river bank. They must have saw him for a flash second. The boy held his breath, his super sensitive ears took in the voices from above. Sometimes the cat DNA came in handy to hear from a far distance, even through solids or liquids. The icy water burned his skin but it didn't matter, the blond could live through it, he was made to. A memory back in headquarters, a horrible one. Up to two to four experiments would be dropped into a tank of water, lid secured on top so there was no way to reach for a breath of air. Even if they did reach, they had a chain attached to their arms to the bottom of the tank to keep them from swimming upwards. It was the old hold your breath trick for three minutes, but only turned into three hours of holding air.

Three hours was the minimum of a mutant for holding their breath under water at any temperature. The boy had training for this, basically a professional to become an athlete swimmer and making an easy living. But the boy knew nothing about the outside world beyond the wired fence. He only ever was giving photos or old videos, he couldn't see it with his own eyes. It was scary to think about the unknown, but if he wanted to find something that was better than being in an isolation tank, or worse, this was his chance of escape. He was going to take this chance to escape this time. He couldn't see himself walking back to his old cellar bedroom with only a bed and fed at certain times of the day. Jee and how he would get bigger from the side effects of different chemicals taking control of his veins and organs. Changing him into an animal within a human. Absolutely horrible.

Physical reactions were much worse when seeing it in person. Not only effecting the mind chemically, but being changed into an animal or get given organ transplants of other animals was outrageous. Seeing the once poor human locked in one of the basement sections as a monster to a normal humans eye. Every mutant from the start was nothing more than a small baby from a parent who wished to give their child up or was forced to give their child away. Some parents fought to keep their child before they were taken into the hands of scientists to experiment on. It was a hidden chain that was never found and blamed on the nurses who would look after the children while the mother rests in her hospital bed. Having a child taken away is heartbreaking. This young blond boy could have a mother and father waiting for him on the other side. He could find his family and live a happy ever after.

The mutant swam to a nearby rock, pulling himself behind it before pushing his head out of the surface with a grasping gasp for air. His chubby hands gripped onto the rock, his head against it as he used his ears to listen in on the murmur at the bank of the river. He knew that voice. Very familiar. Someone who he followed orders to, the once so father figure of his life too. Not anymore. He was no more father title to him after what he had done to another experiment. That's how he found out that he was nothing to him, nothing special to his greedy heart of wanting perfect mutants under his words.

The young boy slowly edged closer to the side of the rock to stare at the man who slammed the car door in annoyance and anger. He was obviously upset with one of the units escaping the laboratory. And that unit was the runaway behind the rock that watched him have his outburst. The older man's reddish hair of purple strands glowed in the moon light, his eyes scanning over the waters of the lake for any sort of movement. He grumbled under his breath. "How unfortunate to lose such an experiment." His deep voice started off the conversation with another man. His fancy hat was set neatly on the top of his head. "Unit 05953234 has managed to break out of his dorms through an opening in the floor, am I correct?" He asked the man in his heavy suit of armour.

The other fiddled with the gun in his hand. "Yes, Sir Ardyn, I doubt we will be able to find him, even with the spot lights roaming the area. Our units are growing smarter everyday with our military training." The one who spoke first, supposedly called Ardyn, sighed as a response. His hands at his sides as he squint at the black waters. If they were to stop the defence training, it will give the mutants a lack of protecting themselves. It will stop the whole process of even having them created. The experiments are using it for their own use of escape only. Not good.

"No matter, it is only one out of a million we have. Unit 05953234 is a failure like the others in the basements anyway...their is no hope for it to live for a very long time with its side effects of the treatment we have given it..." he paused for a moment, "...follow up the others, if they see Unit 05953234, kill it on sight. We have no more use for it anymore." The armoured soldier turned his back to the river, taking out his small speaker device from his pocket to alert the other guards patrolling the area. Ardyn rubbed his fingers together, closing his eyes as he turned to face the military car they took from the parking lot in one of the sections of the headquarters. His long coat moved to the old wind behind him, making his way slowly to open the Humvee door and patiently waiting for the other to take the wheel. A grin over his face as the car pulled into reverse before driving out of sight.

The boy behind the rock felt his eyes softened. His heart sunk to his stomach full of negativity. He was a failed project. No good outcome. Unit 05953234 is a failure. That word hurt him deeply. On an emotional level that he never felt much of. It was amazing. He never really had room for emotions, he was ordered, he obeyed and gained information. That's it. He went down through many operations and yet he ran to the finish line to become a failed experiment. Working so hard but having a negative score.

The mutant turned away from the bank to take a long breath before tucking under the water skin of the lake, hitting to the bottom before swimming off into the blackness to the other side of it, where the fence would tower over his small self. He had no place to be in this laboratory. If they saw him, he would be shot dead immediately half a second after the spot light will expose him. He was nothing to Them. Them who have hurt him and put him through so much pain held no love for him. He was just another number on their checklist every morning to see if he was in his cellar and ready for lessons and training or being operated on.

Just an eight digit number unit marked off the roll. 

Not even a speck of dust. 

Nothing.

The blond raised to the surface, remaining under the skin layer of the water. What if someone was their? He couldn't make out. Ardyn could be waiting for him to reach out to the edge to receive a head shot. He couldn't back down, he had to take every risk there was to get out of here. The boy reached his hand out of the water into the cold air, grabbing at the bank of the other side of the lake to push himself up and onto the surface of the rocky earth. His luck didn't run out just yet, no one was here and no one spotted him either. He was safe, but he had to keep moving to find another spot. The young looked up at the fifty metre high fence. No big deal. During military training he was taught to climb high distances but he never tried fifty metres before in his whole life.

He nodded to himself, courage feeding his heart to keep moving. He had no choice but to keep walking forwards. He pulled at the wire, getting a good grip on it with both hands. Next, he lifted himself for his feet to grip onto the black skinny wire that dug into his skin. He was built for this. Ignoring his weight as much as he could, he raced upwards on the fence like a lizard escaping from its predator. He sped through and kissed the air goodbye on the way up. If he was caught now, he would be a dead failed experiment. Roast chicken to hungry bait. Who knew what they would do with his remains. Use them for transplant? Test on his organs with chimicals that haven’t been used before?

His hands and feet worked their hardest, taking him up, up and up, the air getting thinner to the top. He struggled to slip over to the other side of the fence, almost falling till his hands gripped the fence tightly. His eyes were fixed on the big white building as he climbed down in monkey-style, his bruised legs hurt more than climbing up the fence. He had more trouble to get down but he tried his best to reach the bottom. His feet taking him to the wet grass, easing his sore bloody feet with water. The experiment watched the spotlights move across the area from the headquarters of the laboratory. He was not going to miss this place, even right now that he had no where to go.

He looked away at the road before him, an endless road that took him to the unknown. His wet hair damped over his head, almost covering his eyes as he stood on the edge of the cement in his hospital gown. A cute ribbon tied around his neck to hold it in place around him. His lips trembled, slowly walking to feel the road under his feet, no different to the courtyard at home.

He started to run again, pumping his arms and away from the place he came from. He didn't turn back, he continued to run, run on the abandoned road to find any sign of rest or anything that was any use to him. He wasn't afraid to use his defence or attack drills to protect himself from anyone that could be any harm to him. He needed to find a place that would give him shelter, at least a bed or something. He wasn't as fast as the other experiments because of his weight, but he felt out of danger so he tried to take his time. He was still scared that they would send a search party out for him. Surely every experiment was precious under the governments noses. This laboratory was in the middle of no where too. He had a fair bit to go before reaching any landmarks on a map. The night sky full of stars, bright or dull, they were beautiful to the boy’s eyes. The trees towered over him as he marched his way, the sky taking him to ever they wished to take him.

Would anyone take a poor child like this into their home and look after? Would they be afraid of him? Would they try to use every way to take the barcode off his wrist? All the boy needed was love. He couldn't define it, but it was something special that he never got. Ardyn didn't and never loved him, he only saw him as a test subject. He found out how much he meant to him by seeing the man shooting one of the experiments threatening him when escaping. Seeing that experiment shot dead, petrified him. Even if that experiment wasn't a failure, any move of disobedience was finished off with death. The boy was much smarter and stayed quiet, escaping silently from the nightmare he suffered from.

No more training, and no more testing. He was free, at last…from that. He maybe free but he still had to be careful to who he walked into. Who knew if those guards were in the outside world, he had no clue what so ever. All those untold secrets about the outside world was soon going to be revealed to his very own eyes. The boy looked down at himself, barely seeing his feet from the gown he wore over his over weight body. It wasn’t his fault that he was putting on weight, it was one of the samples They kept feeding his body. Besides the three meals a day routine, he would still put on weight even with the exercises they did in training. It was something that couldn’t be avoided. But now, he had a right to change that. He had rights of his own to do what he pleased. He didn’t have to obey someones orders or follow routines. He had a mind of his own now, and he could use it the way he wanted. He had the world in his hands now, he had the time of day and night to ease his mind and relax. He might have little time in the world or none, but it didn’t matter to him. He had a world to explore with his own feet. This was like heaven for the little boy. No longer behind a cage, he now had space to spread those wings and become true to himself. The gown he wore had a logo on it, repersenting the place.

The name was, Centaur. Nifiheim’s Testing production UNIT.

‘…Unit 05953234 is a failure…’

He sighed, words hurt but he will just have to take that little piece of information with him. His blond hair damped from the river water stuck to his forehead before he wiped it out from his face. Poor boy needed medical attention than anyone else in the world. He was full of many streams of different DNA that fought each other with his own, the chemicals that were injected into him, prevented the cells from having a war. Even if he wasn’t going to be injected now, the chemicals he had managed to stabilise him since being the age of four. The DNA genetics and chemicals he was given turned him into a walking machine of outstanding abilities. All the mutants from this Laboratory had abilities that no normal human could perform or have. Super hyperhearing, cat eyes within the human eye to be able to see from a far distance, the way the experiments used their bodies to climb, swim, fight and more was off the charts. Not to mention, the brain of each mutant locked in the cell had a mind like no other human being could ever have. An organ that could calculate anything in a second, store information and never forget one thing out, an organ that worked with the chemicals and DNAs to think and form something new. The brain is a very complex structure that no one could understand fully. It was impossible.

The little chubby boy jogged his way down the road, relaxing his tense muscles as his jaws started to loosen up for being tight from stress of being caught. The cool air making his hair dance as he kept moving forward. 

Nothing can stop him now in his tracks to a new life.


	2. EARLY WAKE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ Early Morning . . . ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be keeping this Chapter short since I will have to split it into Chapter three instead. I have a habit of making my chapters wayyyyyy to long like I've done with my Danganronpa Fanfic AU so hopefully for this fanfic I can prevent that on going, 5,000+ words for each chapter and at least make some small for a break instead of drowning you all.

Stepping forwards with a drag of the wearer’s laziness, passing four blocks of rented apartments under the break of dawn, Prompto thought. . . ‘Made it. . .’ The black coat he wore covered him from the cold air of the early mornings, the boots he wore as he marched down the blocked road that invited him to a market area full of different colour light bulbs on rope above his head. His blond hair (still styled like one of those feathery birds of yellow) glistened of bright golden layers which to bystanders would be call a bad hair day. His freckles sparkled under his eyes. The blond’s gloved hands tucked away in his pockets of his coat. His slim figure hiding underneath his clothing, if he wanted, he could move from his position in a second to another area in the market. There was no need for him to use such abilities in an open space to the public of Lestallum, he was just seen as another viewer under the royal government’s noses. Not to be known of. . .

The shopping area of the little town was lit up to see prices and tags on items that settlers took within their trips. From food aisles to home made jewellery and other little gadgets. Who knew if it could be useful to Prompto one day instead of climbing up a wall and back flipping to kick heads in. He never felt pushed to limits like others’. He just had another immortal boost of the way he was taught as a child. Even if it was a nightmare replaying in his head, it was also something that was useful to him. Something so horrible that had an urge to be used in daily life. As for a quick example: Stealing when not having enough Gil.

He knew the lines. No Gil? You’re flat broke.

Well, let me tell you something. In Prompto’s world, having no Gil didn’t make you broke, but to steal with ones’ own talents was something else among, just stealing. The boy had his ways. Ways that would spot him out in the crowd as one who held such horrible magic. Either way, it wasn’t magic, it was mixture of DNA and such chemicals in streams that rushed through the blond to have nasty tricks up his sleeves.

Society was something that Prompto had to fit into, but society was something that he could completely get rid of with just the movements of his senses and accepting under another’s orders. If there were many, it was nothing more than disturbances in lines to fault and to be damaged and impossible to repair.

Prompto had no reason to do such crimes, not that he was tempted to either. He welcomed society to himself as a big embrace that saved him from being a walking human weapon and to work his way to fit in with others’ around him.

The young boy licked his lips, slowly pulling his gloved hands that hid his barcode among them, his head lowered a little as his sharp eyes targeted one of the stores he was approaching. His eyes of a cat zoomed in on a bakery. His heart pounded slowly in his chest, in control to his concentration with his slow footsteps to prepare himself for a small sprint.

Once his right booted foot hit the wet ground, he sprinted, as fast as light could travel to the eyes of people sitting in the crowd once the ball hit the bat in the batter’s hands. One of his arms stayed close to his side after pumping his arms fast to reach his short stay at his destination. His hand grasped for the plastic wrapper the loaf of bread was in. Unable to keep tracks of his breath, it seemed he was breathless in a way that he was flying within his own control. Flying past and reaching for something like an eagle would do with its prey.

He gave a half smirk as he raced off down the road to turn into an ally way. Ally ways are usually full with homeless people sitting in groups to keep warm during the cold nights; given rugs by one of the stores Prompto just sped past. Cloudy puffs of air came from his smirking lips, pulling the loaf to be hugged in his arms. He laughed to himself, resting up against the wall. “Well done, Prompto.” He said to himself, a strand of hair dropping in front of his face and tickled his nose. He flicked it with a finger, putting more weight on one leg as his hands shuffled to push the loaf of bread under his coat. 

The inside of the coat was full of wool, keeping the boy warm; even though he didn’t need it. For being a mutant, no temperature bothered him. Like a prawn. Temperature was nothing to the boy, in any form or touch he could feel with his fingertips. Being placed in a tank for many hours at any temperature got his mind to see it as normal. His smile stayed on his face as he ran off, with his prize, the loaf as he made his way to his new destination.

Prompto pounced his way up the stairs in the hotel near the market, the bread loaf under his coat and cradled in his arms. He surely was proud of himself for grabbing the loaf with his speedy powers, but obviously stealing without being caught. It was a smart way to get things when being broke all the time. The blond’s thumps of his boots could be heard from the front desk as he excitedly looked for the hotel room he slept in over night with his three friends. One of them was going to tell him off for stealing but at least they had something to put to use for the energy they would need throughout the day. Placing his hand on the knob of the door, not something Prince Noctis would do before banging himself against the hard wood.

His strands of golden hair invaded the sight of his right eye before he could push it aside for who knows how many times a day. There was no doubt that his friends would either be asleep or just awaking. Prompto did wake up super early today, not always the usual since Ignis was always the first to rise in the mornings. Ignis disliked it when he would wake up before him. Mind the four struggling to share a double bed, Prompto tries to leave the sheets without distrubing anyone. Once he was pulled under Gladio’s arm for moving way too much. He decided to stay in the other’s embrace instead of roaming the streets or stealing again.

Letting the door swing open with a small creek to a stop, the young man smiled to himself. Who would replace the love he had for these three companions of his? No one and nothing could. Not even his past that he threw away just to be a normal human being could replace them. Being human wasn’t too dificult, he was human but at the same time . . . something that could pull the race down to its knees. He didn’t allow Them to cross his mind for many years now, it was just something that was kept in a little bottle with a floating ship moving ever so slowly to a destination that it shall never reach. Prompto closed the door gently, tip toeing towards the kitchen to put the loaf of bread in the fridge. Waking up the others’ now would lead to him getting told off and having three grumpy guys for the rest of the morning.

Taking his coat off, no longer needing it, he folded it neatly and placed it on one of the small cup couch chairs around a small living table. His head turned to the bedroom door, which was a gap open. He kept it like that on purpose, just in case if closing it would leave a sound behind. Not that the three would notice. Prompto made his way over, gentle steps and pushing the door open. 

Pulling his boots off and leaving them at the door he kept a gap again. On purpose. He kept his sleeveless shirt on as well as his pants before sliding under the sheets and slithering his way beside Gladio and Noctis. Gladiolus was much more buffer and bigger size compared to Noctis, it made the blond feel safe whenever he was close to him. Not that he didn’t like sticking around his other two companions. Noctis wasn’t that slim! Of course he had muscle but no one could compare up to Gladio, not even Ignis. They all were different either way and that was also another reason why they were special in their own ways.

“You’re cold. . .” a smooth voice said next to the blond. Prompto smiled and turned his head to meet eyes with dark half open blue orbs. The boy’s fringe almost covered his eyes, making it harder for Prompto to see. Noctis waited for a response, his eye lids closing shut in defeat to sleep. The blond soon turned his body to face his partner, taking in the sheets to gain warmth.

“Sorry.” he couldn’t tell the prince that he was out grabbing bread for ‘free’, but he didn’t state the reason why and Noctis didn’t bother to ask. He simply turned over to leave the blond to warm himself. But little did the prince know that temperature didn’t matter to Prompto. It was a heavy weight to pull around to label ones self. Little did the three of them know. 

Sleep will take over Prompto in a few hours later. It was hard to sleep, being him, having such flash backs that shocked his mind to pull him back to consciousness without being himself. Sleep was something that he lacked. Flash backs of himself walking down those dull halls to many countless rooms of different meanings and reasons. Performance on surgeries that effected the brain in many ways. Not only were there sections to perform tests, there were places for one to be put down to sleep forever.

Prompto couldn’t tell what that UNIT was up to these years when he escaped. What his father figure was up to and what nasty creations were made through out the years. Prompto was happy that he escaped that night. That night was absolute freedom to him. That night he was taken in to an orphanage and taken care of. The staff members couldn’t put a finger on where he came from, no one turned him in but his collapsed body on the side of the road. This told the blond that no one knew about the place he came from. It was under the public’s nose too as well as the government to shut it down. Testing on animals was more than enough to put a stop to before children were involved. Prompto was adopted by a family who raised him like a normal child. The boy was clueless but smart to learn faster than normal students. Remembering such numbers in his head, it was amazing to see the boy speak out codes off by heart. He was trained back in HQ to memorise long number codes.

Noctis cleared his throat, pulling the blankets over his shoulders. The noise snapped Prompto from staring out into space. There was no point in wondering off into the back of his head to remember the past. Right now he was safe with the three people he knew he could love and stick with forever. They were more than just there with him, they each held a special gift within them. The blond closed his eyes, safe between the three people he knew most, letting the darkness to take over his senses. He had to deal with flash backs all his life, it wasn’t something too big but they all had a deep effect on him.

-

His small feet touched the cold floor. . . His head followed the orders he was to obey. . . No rights. . . No say to scream no to the skills he was given. . . No longer a human being. . . But an eight digit barcode. . .


	3. REPEATED NIGHTMARE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is Chapter Three. The reason why I've split this from Chapter Two is because, it is longer than expected to be. Hopefully I've corrected and edited this properly. And thank you for supporting this work of mine, supporting me helps this fanfic to grow. So thank you guys so much for the support I've gotten for this work. Enjoy!

The blond's hands were bound in cuffs, unable to break free from them without the help of any pick lock or other objects. His slim arms pressed against the front of his chest. The cold air in his cellar embraced him to the point he will stare out the cellar window a couple of times. The cold air wasn't something that bothered him, it was the change of the atmosphere being more thick and stuffy than usual. Although his mind was perfectly fine and his body, but his original human self still had effect on his chemistry background of his athlete looking body. The bed against the side of the wall was his own safety for heat. The cellar of his wasn't a nice sight or place to live. No entertainment but to wait like a prisoner to be set free for training. At least he wasn't the one who always had their hands out of the cellar bars of the window and desperate to grab one of the guards to killing them off by the throat. At least he wasn't dangerous to the people who controlled him.

The boy's head turned sideways roughly to scan over his little area for the sixth time that day. It was normal for an experiment to study the area more than once or twice, just like remembering and repeating codes non stop. He had no hope to walk freely out of his room. This was the only place he had to himself. Besides, it was much safer to sit in his room instead of walking around with a bunch of other experiments that wouldn't mind giving him a go. In the past he was met with a few mutants that lost control. It wasn't a normal mental breakdown. It was worse than just shutting down and earning disorders once waking up from a slumber of depression and ache of release from living problems. It was something that turned the brain upside down. Unable to function or think normally. Unable to comprehend or freely roam normally. Unable to stop ones self from causing death. Becoming too confident and giving the brain too much to handle before it made the owner 'brain dead'. Those mutants were treated differently to be executed under the laws they broke among the Headquarters.

This boy, this boy I'm telling you about now, has seen one been killed in front of his eyes. That death pushed him on to obey such orders and control himself. He was strong at heart, to the point he would put others before himself. He put his own father figure behind him. He put every other experiment behind him, giving himself up in front of the line in training. This boy, Unit 05953234, was something special, like every other mutant, but he held something more precious than anyone else in the Headquarters. Something that could create the whole freak nation into something else. A nation of intelligence. A key was locked inside him that not even the boy knew he had.

Wait. Was his father figure wrong for calling him useless and worth nothing? Was there something planned for him to hide something among the blond? Was something planned to use that key once he got his hands on him again? You must be confused. This boy you know as Prompto wasn't something that you could call a normal human being. Of course you can't. Already knowing that information, but surely it isn't enough to tell you what the boy is capable out of millions.

'No matter, it is only one out of a million we have.'

He was the one out of the million that was more important. Prompto was not just an eight digit number. He was not just a mutant that followed orders for the new breach of nations for humans to fall to their knees. He was more than the money that was flying around the world. He was just as important as the growth of human beings. Who knew? Such an over weight boy in the past could be the hidden treasure of the public and isolated and could be used in the worst of ways by both parties. He had the confidence of millions of soldiers. He was special. He shouldn't be played with like a toy. Ardyn knew better than to just call him useless. Maybe he had ways that not even Prompto knew about. He could have anything up his sleeves. He was the only person Prompto could not read. He couldn't read those eyes. For Arydn was random with his choices.

Prompto's eyelids closed. This was a nightmare. He hated this place, if he could leave, he would. He slowly retreated back into his den, sitting down on his bed with his messy sheets that he didn't bother fixing up. What's the point in neating them up if he was to return to his room after training or an upcoming surgery or injections? It wasn't something to be excited about. It was something to be afraid of. Any day could be the day that they put him down to slumber forever. He just had to wait for his death like a patient boy. The countless times he had surgeries and the amount of times he was shot with a needle. It was more than a normal person could take every day or so. It killed Prompto.

His eyes fluttered open as he heard the loud clang of his cellar lock being played with. The creek of his heavy old metal door moved slowly to the visitor's wishes. Prompto could only wish for that door to slam shut and lock him in his room with no disturbances. He would rather be locked in for a day instead of going through operations and periods of learning on a desk that he isn't allowed to take his hands off or training in the courtyard. It was not common for him to have a days rest to himself. His head rose for his blue eyes to meet his visitors, his hands staying between his thighs as the chain of his cuffs tried to meet the floor. There was no escape. He couldn't escape.

Not given a chance he was met with one of the guards pinning him down to his bed. This was the process of restraining him. Prompto knew the drill. He knew it from ever since living in his cellar. Just in case if the mutant was to struggle, they would buckle them up with the leather straps that were attached to the bed. They knew better that their experiments were smart enough to get themselves out of any room without being handled with. It wasn't Prompto that caused this restrain, he just had to follow orders. He allowed his holder to place the straps to his wrists and ankles, forcing him to be placed onto the bed. Next, his waist was strapped as well. For his athletic body he trained for, even stopping his limbs wasn't enough to keep him down.

His heart raced. Sweat beads ran down his face. His eyes darted to the sample liquid within the needle that was presented to him. It was his. His and only his to be placed within his blood stream. To change him and show results of excellence. If not, he was to be put down immediately after the sample used its magic. Results were more important to a scientist's records instead of the test subject. He felt his heart thumb in his ears. Closing his eyes as he was towered over. Not like they cared if he hated shots. He hated them due to having them all the time. His hair dropped in front of his eyes, his hands balling into fists. He had to relax. He had to. There was no point in missing a vein, it only added to having another injection and double of the dose in another place. His arm was stroked, confronted and relaxing his muscles for the injection. He turned his head away, eyes still shut and waiting for the jab to dig under his skin, leaving a mark behind. 

Prompto's eyes rolled back, a gasp leaving his lips and yelp when the sharp instrument jabbed into his arm. The fluids pushed under his skin, killing him, numbing the area with pain before he was released from the sharp tinsel. It was a relief to have that over and done with but that was the last thing Prompto saw before he past out.

The next image he was presented with was himself standing out in line on the courtyard. In his military uniform among other mutants standing on either side of him, in a long line. It was magnificent to see them all dead silent and waiting for an order to be set upon them. The courtyard was trapped within a wired fence, not as big as the fence surrounding the whole laboratory. Each mutant kept their hands behind their backs, watching as their father figure introduced them to another man. The name being a blurred memory to Prompto. The other male was old looking, white hair but almost bald, a white beard covering his pale skin of the chin and jawlines. He seemed to be important from the expensive clothing he was wearing.

The boy was unable to hear what the man had to say, he couldn't hear anything but his shaggy breath. Struggling to keep calm as the older man's finger pointed right at him with a smile. Expecting the boy to do something, he stayed in line and kept his eyes at front. His father figure turned his head towards Prompto with a proud expression. His 'master piece' basically. Prompto is the odd one out of the group even if he liked it or not. It wasn't possible to see if he was the goldenchild out of the group if you were to look at him. But having hold of his records will reveal him instantly.

His well known higher upper, by the name of Ardyn, raised his voice to the blond, gesturing a hand for him to step forward. Unable to hear him, he followed his hand movement, stepping forward and keeping his hands behind his back. His eyes targeted his father figure, waiting for an order to be placed on him to obey. The other man spoke to Ardyn before turning his back to him and calling out to one of the gates of the laboratory behind them. His father figure kept his eyes on the group, proud of every one of them individually, but mainly Prompto. The gates opened forth to one of the sections of the building. That section was part of the cellar rooms for other groups of experiments being tested on.

Prompto's eyes enlarged a little, trying not to be noticed for his panic, his eyes met something so hideous and dangerous that stepped out of the gate with a metal chain around its neck. A few guards holding individual chains to keep the exposed experiment under control. Bound to its chains from the collar, it snorted and growled in pain. The poor thing was forced out of its cellar to be shown off to a group of mutants in training. The look it was given by the white haired man in his fancy clothing was not something that would release it without seeing it dead on the concrete ground of the courtyard. The physical effected experiment was just as afraid as Prompto was. Ardyn was hesitant to give Prompto an order. But it had to be done. Tests were valuable and must be collected immediately. Results were the keys to bring something newer and stronger.

The two higher upper men moved to the side of the court, moving out and opening the gate to stand behind the wire fence. They both watched at the guards struggled to hold the twisted minded creature down by its chains. The other mutants in line were ordered to keep their ground on the other side of the court, afar from the despaired mutant that Prompto was going to face. Prompto didn't hear the order, but his ears took in the marching of the group leaving him. The blond's eyes turning to Ardyn's, waiting for his next order.

The reddish colour of the man's hair brightened in the sun's rays, his hands moved to a silent beat that translated to words in Prompto's head. Sigh language, not completely but it was a type of language used for battle. The message he was given confirmed him to what he had to do. The boy crooked his head, signing Ardyn that he understood him. His father figure gave him an impressed smile, impressed with Prompto's fast translations of his hand movements. The young boy waited patiently in his place, his eyes forward and watching his targets movements.

Waiting. Thinking. Watching. Calculating . . .

The guards' hands released the beast, letting go of the chain that their hands burned from the friction of holding it. The amount of power the mutant had to turn chain to burn the hands of men. It was amazing. The beast roared, his heavy sharp claws raised into the air by its two limbs up front, forcing the guards' hands to slip off them before landing back on its two feet, adding another pack on the back of it to stay balanced. Alarmed of its surroundings, its eyes turned towards Prompto, watching as the boy kept his blue ones on it.

A challenge. The boy was challenging it. A normal human would never do something like that to a huge creature that could kill you in a second. Prompto stood his ground, lowering himself into a battle stand he was taught. Most of his weight on the front leg.

Why the front leg?

Wasn't it supposed to be the back leg to hold the weight to defend easily or move out of the way?

The mutant shook itself, its fur of a bear pushed against the wind, its head lower and targeting onto Prompto to run over. It took a moment before heading straight for him, its four feet pressing against the concrete of the courtyard, moving at its fastest speed to reach the boy. It was a matter of time till Prompto disappeared out of its sight in half a second. Confusing the failed experiment to where he went.

Before it could raise its head, a small weight dropped onto its back. Prompto pounded before the creature could bull-doze him over. The boy spun in mid air to face forwards to sit on the monster's back. His hands reached for its huge horns on the top of its head. Half breathed out from his feet being off the ground, using his senses to feel where the target was before placing himself onto it. It became a bumpy ride for Prompto as he sat on its back, keeping hold on its horns. Pain struck his arms. It wasn't Prompto who was in pain from the animals power, it was something else that was effecting him. A side effect he was given possibly before training.

The blond's hands started to turn the beast's head like the steering wheel of a car, forcing the creature's head to snap violently to break the beginning of its spine to the skull. Even if he got rid of the beast that quickly, it still wasn't enough to stop it. It roared in pain, taking a different approach and managed to push the blond off itself. The boy gasped, collecting himself and catching his fall with his hands, keeping himself up like a hand stand; bending his knees to control his weight if he fell forwards. His head raised back to watch the beast, staying in his position. His arms became his new legs now. He wanted to impress the man who was watching to his father figure that he turned him into a powerful weapon. His eyes focused on his victim. His point of his feet faced the creature.

The exposed mutant struggled to keep itself up, its eyes on Prompto with hate and bloody murder. Enough to want to kill the boy and step on his head under its bulky claw. The physical and chemical attention it was given helped it to continue moving, at a slower pace towards Prompto. The boy's eyes scanned his target, his head tilting slowly, following the beast's actions. It was no use to control it, he will have to put strength to show he was the boss.

Prompto couldn't be bothered to wait for the other to reach him so he presented a few flips towards it, taking his place back onto its back. Ignoring its struggling, he grabbed the horns once more, taking a deep breath when he snapped its neck the other way. More roughly to send the beast’s tongue poking out and resting on its bottom lip on the side. The failed mutant was dead when it hit the floor in defeat. Suffered enough, it was sent away at rest, finally.

Prompto shuffled himself off, slowly getting himself into the same position with his hands behind his back. Finished with the order he obeyed, his head raised high with his hair ghostly flying in the air. A blank expression over his face, brows almost frowning in place perfectly. His received a clap from Ardyn, happy with the results he got from the blond. That task must of been easy for the boy, simple, the failed experiment didn’t mean anything to anyone. It was just used for a test drive. Every failed experiment that wasn’t a cripple could be used against the perfect mutants to prove their abilities. That was something that any normal experiment could become any day. Mental breakdowns were common in this place, even out of the blue. Some experiments just can’t take it anymore, some can think they can but end up failing. It was sad to see from an ally’s eyes, a friend out of the million that cared for another. Sometimes you get those rough mutants who don’t know how to socialise or some that are more than happy to make you their world through this painful everlasting life. 

Prompto’s section of the building was the most dangerous as a team or solo, the highest rank out of all the experiments and were spent more with and worked on, forcing them to become unemotional and listening to orders over time. Prompto wasn’t that dumb to get rid of his full emotions. They were used for power and smarts instead of himself most of the days he was pulled out of his cellar.

Working as team with his group . . . but every man for himself in the end, right?

The boy’s vision went black again, blanked out like a minutes rest before he was put into another problem. This image was so clear to him, to where he was now walking. Seeing his feet taking him across the dull floor of his only home. The floor was very cold against his skin, the gown he wore covered him to his ankles and wrists.

‘His small feet touched the cold floor . . .’

The voices of higher ups talking into his ears, it was all a blur to him, making it hard for him to understand. Guards marching, surrounding him on the walk down the hall. Other nurses and guards bypassing him to his destination.

‘His head followed the orders he was to obey . . .’

The stainless steel cuffs bounded tightly onto his wrists, the inviting chain attached to each end, he could easily wrap around his neck and openly say goodbye to his ice cold life right there if he wasn’t stopped with the eyes upon him.

‘No rights . . .’

Hands holding onto his shoulders and pushing him forward to double flat doors to a room up ahead. His head hung low, obviously upset to be heading into a depressing room that was mainly frozen at night time. Before the doors opened to one of the operating rooms, he was stripped bare from his hospital gown. shame over his naked body of no care to cover himself. This was not the first time he entered this process.

‘No say to scream no to the skills he was given . . .’

His eyes met the room he was pushed into. The bright lights shinning onto his face, inviting him in with a cold welcome of chances of being pushed into another cellar or put to death. The thumping of his heart was telling him that his organ was threatening to rip out of his chest as he was forced from the shoulders and upper back to the well known hospital bed in the middle of the room.

‘No longer a human being . . .’

Strapped to the bed, his sleepy eyes of the drug he was given back in his cellar. His eyelids half closed to the doors he came from starting to close on his face, the guards that took him over left him behind in the surgery room. The lights in the room went to shut down, the machines around him, some attached to him by cords came to life.

‘But an eight digit barcode . . .’

His eyes fixed on one of the tools a sergeant was holding started to move, a razor instrument he had never seen when awake. The sound of the razor softening to his half sleeping senses as he turned his head to the computer screen in front of him that flashed all different words in front of his eyes. The noises disappeared, the words staying in his mind as he drifted off before the bloody experimenting party began.

Prompto started to scream, his eyes shut closed as his hands pulled at the bedsheets of the double bed. Freely grasping for something to save him. His head pounded as he entered a cold sweat. One of his hands reached for a warm surface, gripping hold of it and pushing himself up to open his eyes. He looked at his surrounds, seeing that he was in his own bed. Heart still pounding and feeling movement around him. A moan and then an annoyed voice. Prompto was more than happy that he heard those sounds.

“Prompto? Screaming that loud in the morning, some of us are still sleeping the morning away.” Prompto had trouble to pull the smile off his face. His messy hair covered one of his eyes.

Gladio.

‘Sorry. Big guy . . . I couldn’t warn y-“

“Prom, that’s my ass you’re grabbing at.” Another voice was heard within the sheets. Prompto felt his heart flutter. Another voice he knew well instead of someone nameless to his memory.

Noctis.

“Oh! S-sorry!” he turned his head to the raven. Gladiolus rubbed his eyes, his long messy dark brown hair resting almost to his shoulders as he turned to his side, keeping his weight on one arm as he used the other to push his hair out from his face, rubbing his forehead where one of his scars were located and plus, with a loud sigh. Prompto removed his hand from where it gripped at Noctis’ backside. The prince most slowly in the blankets, mumbling to himself before lifting his head up at the blond. “Bad dream, wasn’t it?” The raven asked before glancing over to Gladio. “Didn’t you . . . wear a shirt to bed? If I remember?” The muscular male eyed the prince, humming to himself before sitting up on the side of the bed. “Someone was complaining that someone else was cold last night?” His brows raised at him. Noctis gave him a frown. Prompto was unable to respond when the bedroom door slammed open. Another male entered the room, holding the door knob tightly.

“Specs-“

“I heard someone screaming, who was it?” Having a such role of being the over protecting mother, knowing Ignis, he liked to get to the real point of the problem to solve it. Gladiolus got up from the bed, stretching in front of the window; the light leaving a shadow of the window and Gladio on the wooden floor. Noctis turned his head, smiling over his shoulder at the other who entered the room. “Look who came to see us now . . .” He smirked at the dirty brunette’s eye roll, his first button undone as his hand stayed on the door handle. Was that just bringing the attention to Ignis or really bad flirting? Prompto shook his head and placed his hand down on the raven’s head, messing his hair more and earning a snort. The three extended glances towards the lighter brunette. The two in the bed didn’t bother explaining so Gladio but it into simple terms. “Another nightmare about the dark caves and evil ghosts.”

Prompto gasped and Ignis gave an accepting nod. “Seems scary enough for a friend of His Highness who takes a massive liking to feathery birds.” the blond felt betrayed by the light brunette of the statement from Gladio. Noctis snorted under his breath from his Advisor’s remark. Adjusting the glasses he wore, Ignis pushed his hip out to the side and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Prompto’s say.

The blond bolted up with a jump on the bed to sit on his legs. “It did not go like that, Big guy!” He turned his head to the Shield before looking over to Ignis. His brows frowned and he took a breath to blurt. “It was about-“ He stopped mid sentence, catching his breath and blankly stared out to the wall in front of him. The group of three gave him concerned looks. Was it that hard to talk about a nightmare? Prompto lowered his head, regretting that he even decided to spill about his dream. There was no way he could tell his three companions about it. Firstly, they wouldn’t believe him. Secondly, they might abandon him for being different. Why would they accept a walking weapon? They might as well kill him off. Kill one of a million to the looks of it from Prompto’s boss’s eyes. Prompto was a failed experiment either way. His father figure said he was no more.

“Unable to speak your unconscious side, Prompto?” Ignis asked, reaching for the door knob with the same hand. Noctis sat up next to him, pushing the blankets off of himself and looked at the blond. Gladiolus kept his eyes out the window in thought. He spoke up. “Forget about it Prompto, it is your mind trying to push you up the ass. It isn’t worth it.”

Prompto gazed over the tattoo of an eagle on Gladio’s back and nodded. “You’re right. It is just a nightmare.” He smiled from the supportive words he was given. Noctis pointed to his head. “All part of the mental side Prompto, the brain is hella complex.”

“Please do prepare yourselves for today, we shall be heading out shortly.” Ignis slowly closed the door behind him after, leaving the three to get ready. Prompto tried his best to lighten up the atmosphere. “Yeah Noct! Better not take an hour to get ready or Iggy is going to dress you!” He got himself out of the bed before Noctis could try and grab him from the shirt. Noctis happen to grow the habbit of laying in bed instead of changing clothes. It got to the point when Gladio had to pull him from the legs to get him out of the layers of blankets. The prince was basically attracted to warmth. It was always a struggle for Ignis to rip the prince off him in public. Prompto took many shots of the Advisor’s hand against the raven’s cheek to push him off. Gladiolus chuckled as he heard the two youngest kids of their group shuffling around and tackling the bed sheets to raise to their feet.

Prompto took one of the corners of the room, lifting his hand to look at the black leather gloves he always, always wore. No way was he going to take them off around anyone. His barcode was to remain hidden, to hide his real identity away. Getting spotted would melt him into a puddle on the spot and hoping to die. Having the prince disappointed in him and the other two they shared a relationship with would break his heart to a million pieces.


End file.
